Cessna 140 N4179N accident near Pasco, Washington

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadvertent excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.

NTSB analysis

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the normal landing, the airplane bounced and returned to the runway surface. When the landing gear contacted the runway surface, the airplane nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the rudder, vertical stabilizer, and left wing lift strut. The pilot was uncertain about his application of the brakes during the landing, however, the passenger reported that the airplane skidded after the main landing gear contacted the runway.

Postaccident examination of the airplane identified wear marks on the main landing gear tires consistent with braking during the landing roll and revealed that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the main landing gear wheels rotated freely when the airplane was towed from the runway.

Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently applied excessive braking input during the landing roll.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR26LA208 for the full record.